Cinematograph film material



July 12,` 1927. v 1,635,516

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J. E. THORNTON CINEMATOGRAPH FILM MATERIAL original Filed Dec. '15, 19233 sheets-Sheet JOHN EDWARD THORNTQN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

cmniaa'roenarn FILM MATERIAL.

Original application led Decembe'r 13, 1923, Serial No. 680,511, and inGreat Britain December27, 1922. i Divided and this application filedJune 8, 1925. Serial No. 35,761.

This invention relates to reinforced film material of double-standardwidth and halfstandard thickness for the production of two-colorpositive' cinematograph films such l as described in my concurrentapplication ,.'.tized colloid, the two section-prints being afterwardsjoined together to produce a'v single film of full standard thickness.

The standard film material commonly used for producing monochromepictures, sensitizecl upon one side only, and also the duplex filmmaterial, sensitized upon both sides, for

use in\ producing two-color pictures, are made of an approximatethickness of .00600 inch; and film material of such thickness is' strongenough to successfully withstand the usual rough handling in the filmprintery.

The film material, for producing two-color films, of half standardthickness is made of an approximate not yof sufficient strength tosuccessfully withstand' the handlingduring the successive processes inthe film printery without considerable waste and loss arising frombreakage.

In my Patent 1,229,546, dated 12th June, described a lm material of halfstandard thickness (.00300 inch) provided with a temporary reinforcementor stripping back of smooth glossy paper heavily coated, waterproofedand polished, so prepared. that the film will remain attached theretoduring e the printing,

developing and washing. operations but be readily detached whenrequired, the film being built up thereon with a succession of layerscomprising a layer of celluloid' or cellulose acetate'nearly .00300 inchthick, a sensitive colloid layer .00100 inch thick superimposed thereon,and an adhesive substratum placed between the two to ensure theirpermanent adhesion so that the three layers form one homogeneousstrip offilm material. I also described this thin reinforced film material asmade of double width to enable the complementary section imageslmaterial of double standard being printed'thereon side-by-side to facethe same way, and after slitting. the doublewidth film the two filmswere cemented with the colloid face of the lower one to the glossycelluloid back of the upper one. In practice this proved uncertain owingto the diiiiculty of making a perfectly satisfactory and permanentlysecure union between the two materials of .totally different'physicalcharacter with the result that the glossy celluloid face and the colloidface came apart after the shortest use.v V

In "practice 'it was eventually found that the reinforcement or backingof afsmooth glossy of polished paper did not adhere to the celluloidfilm suicientlyfirmly during the various processes in the film printery,and it often became detached and completely spoiled before the finalstage of cementing thefilms together was reached.

Another fault inthat invention was that when images of the relief typewere required (which need to be printed from the back rthrough -the'celluloid but .developed4k from lthe front) the reinforcing strip couldnot he used at all, because it was attached only to the back ofthecelluloid; therefore the use of such reinforcement was restricted `tothe production only of images that are thickness .00300 inch and is bothprinted and developed from the front and must therefore be of the flat(non-reand secondlyT by cementing the two film-- prints face-to-face, sothat both the faces cemented are of the same colloid material with thesame physical characteristics, the images being inside. y f

The object of this invention is to produce an improved ready coloredsensitized film width and half standard thickness provided with atemporary reinforcement of paper forming an integral part thereof foruse in the roduction of two-color cinematograph ms of standard -widthand thickness.

According to the present invention inthe temporary reinforcement orbacking, I abolish the glossy or polished face and prepare or selecttherefor a paper provided with multitudinous fine teeth or grain towhich an adhesive coating such as rubber solution or gelatine will bythe process of shrinkage 'become interlocked vand firmly,v shrunk uponevery'sngle tooth in the manner hereinafter more particularlydescribed..

Referring to the accompanylng, draw- Fig. 3 is a'view of film-materialshowing y stripes of colored colloid with. paper reinforcement on back.

Fig. 4 is a View of same perforated.

F ig. 5 is a View of film-material showing stripes of colored colloidwith paper reinforcement on face.

Fig. Sis a view of same perferated.

"Figa 7 -is a' View o'f sheet offfilm-material with a plurality ofstripes of colored colloid .alternately orange-red and blue-green'adaptedto be cut into stri s of material ofdoublestandard Width wittwoparallel colored Stripes.

Fig. 8 is a View of a modified sheet of filmmaterial with a plurality ofstripes of 55 colored` colloid alternately orange-red and blue-greenadapted to be cut into strips of material of double standard width withtwo parallel colored stripes. y The paper reinforcement A or'A1 is of 40double standard width with indentations or. fine teeth over the surfaceand upon this'rough surface is coated an adhesive layer C of rub-l bersolution or gelatine which will ow into all the interstices on thesurface and on drying will. adhere firmly thereto. This paperreinforcement A, A1- provide a continuous flexible non-polished supportand serves the double-purpose of a smooth castingsurface upon which toform the lm` andI of a temporarysupport to which the lfilm firmlyadheres with absolute certainty throughout all the printing, developing,washing, and drying operations, but permits reasona ly easy detachmentwhen required.4

For printing and developing from the front -to give flat non-reliefimages the sensitiefe film material is constructed by coating upon theadhesive layer C of rubber solution a layer of transparent base-supportB such as Celluloid, a layer of adhesive substratum b, and a layer ofsensitive colored colloid D in two parallel differently colored stripes.

For printing through the back and developing from thefront to giveimages in "5 relief the paper reinforcement A1 is attached to thesensitive colloid D the sensitive film material being' constructed bycoating upon the adhesive layer C of rubber orgelatine, a layer ofsensitized colored colloid D.' in two parallel differently coloredstripes, a layer of p Iadhesive substratum b and a layer of transparentbase-support such as celluloid.

For piifiting-nou-relief images the reinforcing paper which is attachedto the celluloid baci-z of thc film material may remain attached'thereto until the two .films are cemented together image-face toimage-face.

Or may remain attached until after the final 'development and thenlie-stripped olf immediately before the two films are cemented togethercelluloid-back to celluloid-back.

vFor printing raised or relie'f images the i loid material in or uponwhich the print itself is made and another ofpaper' with fine teeth orgrain on the surface filled ywith an adhesive, which. serresv only fortemporarily strengthening and reinforcing the otherwise too .thin film,to these three main layers being added a substratum layer' of the usualtype placed loetween`-the Celluloid and the colloid layers in order toeffect an indissoluble union of the' two.

In the manufacture of the thin reinforced i lilm material thereinforcing paper Ior backing is 'cut to double standard film width;upon the surface which. is grained 'or toothed an adhesive of rubber orgelatine is flowed or spread into the hollowspr spaces between the teethor grain anda coating or successive coatings of the desired thickness ofCelluloid and sensitive colored colloid are applied. For flat ornon-relief pictures the Celluloid is first coated and for raised orrelief .picture-sl the colloid is first coated.

Each of these layers is applied by means .of the same or similarIcoating and spreading machinery combined with heating and coolingdevices as are generally used in manufacturing senstized papers; and thedrying of these coatings is effected by passing the coated web throughthe usual paper-drying rooms supplied with V dust-filtered, heated anddried air by means` of the usual pressure and exhaust fans. i

This toothed surface is first prepared by coating with a thin layer ofpure para rubber dissolved in benzole, benzene or other dried. It ispreferred to then apply af second coating of the-rubber solution, whichis also dried. The first lor both of these coatings i will flow into thehollows or Valleys between the points or hills formed by the grain,until they are lled up and aperfectly smooth level surface is produced.

To this 'rubber-covered smooth surface is next applied the layer oftransparent film base, either by one or more coatings.

Y The substratum solution is next applied to the Celluloid layer, whenthe substratuin is dry the sensitizedv colored colloid layer is appliedin stri es by flowing or by passing around a roll.fw ich dips into atrough of.

solution, and when this layer is finally-dry the film manufacture isfinished.

The web is next slit into narrow strips of double the requisite width ofthe cinematograph film, and the strips are next perforated to suit theprinting and other machines by Whiclrthe prints are produced.

In manufacturing the thin film material with itsireinforcement'at thefront trans-A parent celluloid'at the back, and sensitive colored,colloidin the centre, for producing prints with relief-images, theorder for ap,-

plving the coatings is varied-as follows The toothedsurface of the paperis first prepared by coating it with a very thin isolating layer ofl"gelatine containing glycerine, molasses or sugar, applied as a thinsolution,a'nd if necessary a second coat can be applied. The gelatinewill fiow into the hollows and fill up the grain of. the rough.

paper to produce a smooth surface as in the example of rubber layeralready described. To' this smooth gelatine-coated surface is nextapplied the layer of sensitized colored colloid as in the previousexample.

The substratum layer is'v next applied in the manner already described.

Finally the transparent Celluloid base layer is applied and when dry thefilm is complete. In producing film material such as hereinbeforedescribed it is made with two differently colored stripes one containingorange-red coloring matter and the other containing blue-green coloringmatter, to give ready colored-pictures directly by development.

In manufacturing a `wide web of paper is coated in the mannerhereinbefore described, the sensitive colored colloid being applied in aseries of alternating stripes of orange-red and blue-green (enit ma bered and blue) each extending longitudinally of the web, and when slitinto Ldouble-width strips each strip comprises. thetwo sets of comple-lmentary colors (orange-red and blue-green or red and blue) required toproduce a series of complete two-color pictures.

The essence of success 1n manufacturefvpf such teeth, but has aperfectly smooth top surface and which is at the Sametime sufficientlyadhesive to hold the superimposed film la-yerwith absolute securityduring all f .the subsequent processesl of manipulation,

but also iscapable of permitting a complete and perfect release of thesuperimposed film layer from the reinforcing paper layer when t-hefilm-paint is finished.

The function of the first adhesive layer 1s to secure a perfect grip.upon all the teeth of the grainy paper. surface, which is effected bythe process of shrinking during drying; and the function of the secondadhesive layer is to produce a erfectly smooth surface uponV` the uppersi e and a perfect `union with the first adhesive la er upon the lowerside; and the function o this smooth upper surface is to enable thesuperimposed film layer {tocome away from the adhesive layer as a"perfectly clear transparency,

whereas if' such superimposed layer were coated on to a grainy surfaceit would only come awayfwith a matt or ffground glassv appearance-,being a moulded reproduction of the'grain of the paper.

The functions of the several component layersare therefore alldifferent. The paper temporarily reinforces and strengthens the entirefilm. The Celluloid forms the base that permanently supports thesensitized colloid with its image-series. `The substratum effects aperfect and permanent union between lthe sensitized colored colloid andthe celluloid base. And the adhesive rubber or adhesive gelatine layerformsv a temporary union between the paper reinforcement and the filmitself.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patentis 1. A complete section film'j` material of double standard widthandhalf standard thickness comprising three main layers, a

transparent base support, a sensitive 'colloid with color incorporatedtherein in two longitudinal stripes of complementary colors and paperreinforcement with fine teeth or grain loa the said film consisting ofthree layers, two

of which, the transparentl base support and colored colloid, being usedpermanently for building up atwo-,color film-print, and the third part,a strengthenin reinforcing strip of paper adapted to be use onlytemporarily and discarded at a convenient stagev of the process.

3. A perforated cinematograph film-material comprisingv the combinationof a transparent celluloid base of substantially half standard thicknessand double standard width, a colored-colloid layer in two longitudinalparallel stripes orange-red and blue-green and a removable reinforcingstrip of paper,jp1ovided with a fine toothed grained surface.

4. A ready-colored, reinforced, doublewidth film-material for theproduction of cinematograph two-color positive lm-strip prints ofstandard width and thickness, but of the type built up from tworthinfilms of only half the Standard thickness Iwhich after printing arecemented together to form a single Width film of standard thickness andcomprising in its construction the following arrangement andcombination'of parts :-a layer of paper having-a multitudinous number offine teeth upon one surface, which serves the double purpose of acasting support upon which the film is built up and formed duringmanufacture and also as a temporary reinforcement detachable from thefilm at any convenient stage after, printing, a temporary layer ofadhesive material flowed into the hollows or spaces between the teeth ofthe paper layer, having a smooth upper surface; a layer of-sensitizedcolloid containing coloring matter'applied as two parallel stripessuperimposed upon the temsur support, the' sensitized colloid layerbeing enclosed'between the paper reinforcement and the transparentcelluloid base, the double-Width strip being intended to belongitudinally severed after printing to form two differently coloredstrips which are ultimately superimposed and cemented to form asingle-,width strip of t\vocolor pictures. v

5. A ready-colored, reinforced, doublesensiti'zed parallel. stripscolored red and blue respectively. i g' (3i A ready-colored film stripas in claim l, provided with perforations for accurately registering theprints upon the double-width strip` and for moving the film throughprojection apparatus when the two thin films have been cemented togetherto form a single film strip.

my hand.

JOHN EDWARD THORNTON.

width film-material asin claim l With its

